J.J. Finley Student Wins District Spelling Bee

Published January 28th, 2010

A fifth-grade student from J.J. Finley Elementary School has won Alachua County's 2010 Spelling Bee, beating out 33 other students from local public, private and homeschooling programs in what was the longest competition in the bee's history, according to a statement released by the Alachua County School Board.

Minseok Bu took first place in the bee by correctly spelling the word 'contiguous.' The runner-up was seventh-grader Aman Kabeer from Oak Hall. The competition last 19 round, more than any previous Alachua County bee.

"These were probably the best-prepared spellers I've even seen," said Dawn Newell, a curriculum teacher specialist who organizes the bee each year. "I knew after the first round that this was an excellent group and that we were going to have each year. "I knew after the first round that this was an excellent group and that we were going to have an exciting competition."

Bu will now go on to represent Alachua County in the Times-Union Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, February 20 in Jacksonville. That winner competes in the national spelling bee, set for late May in Washington.